Familiar Situation
by JarayZ
Summary: "If you don't cancel this party, I will blow this place to bits" Bomb? Conan, Ran and Kogoro were invited to an anniversary party at the mansion in the forest. Murder(s) happen and Conan has to solve it and now…Time is running out…
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: This story had a reference from movie 4 and movie 1 of Detective Conan that belongs to Gosho Aoyama.

My first fanfiction in my life! Reviews and comments are very welcome!

**A/N** : English isn't my first language and I don't have any writing experience, so there will be a lot of grammatical errors and lack of vocabulary.

**Summary:** "If you don't cancel this party, I will blow this place to bits" Bomb? Conan, Ran and Kogoro were invited to an anniversary party at the mansion in the forest. Murder(s) happen and Conan has to solve it and now…Time is running out…

**Note - **You can skip to chapter 1 if you remembered the beginning(Tropical Land flashback) of the movie 4.

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**\- Prologue -**

_Tropical Land_

"Hey look look! There're dinosaurs!" **Ran Mouri** is looking through a binocular viewing at the scenery below and beckoning someone from behind.

"Huh?" She turned to look behind when she feels that 'he' is gone.

"Mou He took off somewhere again…" Then she turned back to the binoculars.

**Shinichi Kudo** is gradually walking closer to her and cling a canned cola onto her cheek, she startled and turn around.

"Here, aren't you thirsty?"

Ran accepted a canned cola from him "Thanks."

Shinichi looked at his watch "Oh no, there's only three minutes left!" He then took her hand and ran.

"W-wait, Shinichi!"

He took her to the plaza, one of which has a waterfall around it.

"Great, we made it."

"What is this?" Ran said and looks around "Just a regular plaza?"

"Well, wait and see." He said and look at his watch "Ten..nine..eight..seven.." He began to count down slowly.

"Six..five..four..three..two..one!"

Suddenly there is a fountain ejected from the ground in a circle around the two teens beautifully.

Ran looked at the fountain with a smile on her face. "Shinichi.."

"Well, it's my present to you for winning the karate regional tournament," Shinichi said, making a proud face "you should be grateful."

Ran leaned her face to Shinichi "Don't act so proud"

He smiled at her and looked up. She looked up, followed his gaze.

There is rainbow occurring by the water mist above their heads.

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** A/N 2 : **Read chapter 1 and you will know why the prologue was needed in the story...


	2. Chapter 1 - Dream and invitation

**Disclaimer: **Just ignore it…or go back to the prologue…

**A/N : **I know you confused with the prologue,it was needed for the later chapters. Yeah this chapter is quiet short, this is my first story mean I never write a story before especially in English! and I learned from reading book and fanfics so yeah...I will try to make it longer...

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**Chapter 1 – Dream and invitation **

_6:00 pm._

"Hey Ran, are you sure this is a shortcut?" **Kogoro Mouri** said while driving on a road; two sides are full of thick dark woods. The rough road made the car shake.

"But the map says it was this way…" Ran said from the back seat, holding a map.

"Oji-san there is a main road ahead" **Conan Edogawa** that sitting beside Ran said and pointing forward to the main road. *cough**cough* He coughed, hands to his mouth.

"Brat, why not just stay at home?"

"Dad, we can't leave him at home alone, Agasa-hakase goes camping with the children."

Kogoro sigh when a car arrives to the main road.

"Damn this road is so dark and it's raining, why the party in a place like this!"

"If Yoko-chan doesn't come, you better pay for this!"

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_5 hours ago_

_"__Alright everyone! Now all the racehorses are out running! They now run to the first corner, 'Caminari-Boy' will be the champion in the third season or not?"_

Kogoro is watching a horse racing on the TV intently. His hair is a mess, Newspaper in one hand and pencil stick on his ear.

**Ring ring ring!**

The telephone rang.

"Ran, answer the phone for me, I'm busy." Kogoro said

Ran that was cleaning the dust on the table, turned to Kogoro and give him an angry look. "Answer.. It..Yourself" she said slowly.

He saw it, then said "Fine" and pick up the phone "Moshi moshi Kogoro Mouri speaking…a party? I'm sorry but I'm busy at the moment…"

Suddenly, his expression changed "What? Yoko-chan will be there too? Yes ,yes! Where? When?" Kogoro picked up the pencil and write the appointment time on paper, "Yes, thank you" then he hangs up.

"What is it?" Conan asked

"He called to invite us to the 20th anniversary party of 'The Way' magazine tonight at 'Dawn of Hope' mansion and Yoko-chan will be there too! Yoko-chan! Yoko-chan!" Kogoro said "Ran, prepare the dress for me."

"Hai"

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_1 hour ago_

"Oji-san are you ready? Conan asked Kogoro, who is dressed up in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

"You don't forget anything?" Kogoro asked

"Hai"

"What about Ran?" He asked and walked out of the bathroom.

"She's sitting on the sofa over there" Conan said and point at the sofa.

While Ran is waiting for her father, she fell asleep and dreamed about when she went to Tropical Land with Shinichi…

_After the two teens finished watching the fountain, they sat on a bench and drinking cola._

_"__Ne, Shinichi" Ran said_

_"__What?" Shinichi turned to look at her face._

_"__Can I ask you a question?_

_"__What is it?"_

"_Hypothetically speaking, if you have to defuse the bomb. There are two wires, a red one and a blue one, which one you will cut?"_

_"__Um" Shinichi turns his face upwards, thinking "Well, we can't just cut whichever we want because bomb defusing is very dangerous, so we have to cut according to the bomb's schematic only" Shinichi explained_

_"__Come on, I just assume, so which one you will cut?" Ran asked, curious._

_"__Red and Blue?" Shinichi asked, Ran nodded "If it was me, I will cut…"_

_Ran listened patiently._


	3. Chapter 2 - 'Dawn of Hope' mansion

**Chapter 2 – 'Dawn of Hope' Mansion**

_"__Red and Blue?" Shinichi asked, Ran nodded "If it was me, I will cut…"_

_Ran listens patiently_

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"Ran Oi Ran" Kogoro shakes Ran "It's time to go"

She awoke and got up slowly.

"Ran-neechan, what's wrong? Your face is all red." Conan asked, he noticed that she is blushing.

"Ah, nothing" Ran said, smile knowingly and walk away. "Nothing at all"

Conan looked at her, confused.

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"We aren't there yet?" Kogoro asked while still driving.

"We are almost there" Ran answered.

"Wait, there is someone there" He said when he saw someone on the side of the road.

"Their car may be broken down" Conan says, *cough**cough* then slide a cold mask to his mouth.

"Don't speak too much, Conan-kun, or you'll lose your voice" Ran said, he nod. "Oh I just remembered, hakase asked me to give 'Detective Boys' badge to you" and take the badge out of her shirt pocket.

"Can you keep it for me for awhile?

"Of course" Then she put the badge back into her pocket.

Kogoro parked the car next to the two women, he scrolls a windshield down. "What happened to your car, beautiful young ladies?"

"Our car ran out of fuel" One of the women said.

"We are going to the 'Dawn of Hope' mansion. You're going there too, right? Can we go with you?" Another woman said.

"Of course" Kogoro said willingly.

**"****Thank you very much"** They said at the same time, close their umbrellas and sit in the car. One at a seat beside Kogoro, another in a backseat beside Ran.

The drive continued.

"Excuse me, but are you The 'Sleeping Kogoro'? A woman beside Kogoro asked.

"Yes, I'm the famous detective Kogoro Mouri, one and only." He said confidently.

"Wow, awesome!" Woman in the back seat said "We are freelance journalists, my name is Narumi Daito."

"And I'm Kaaka Omotani" Woman beside Kogoro said.

**"****Nice to meet you" **Speak at the same time.

"Nice to meet you, too" Kogoro replied. "Sitting behind me is my daughter, Ran Mouri."

"Nice to meet you" Ran said and smiles at Narumi and Kaaka.

"And that is Conan Edogawa,"

"Nice to meet you"

"A freeloader" Kogoro finished. Conan stares at him, annoyed.

"Conan-kun, you catch a cold?" Kaaka asked because she saw that Conan wore a mask.

"Ah, yes"

"I had a cold medicine, take this and you will feel better." She said and hand him a medicine that was in her handbag.

Conan thanked her and takes the medicine.

"Your necklace really suits you" Kogoro said when he saw Kaaka's bead necklace.

"Thank you" Kaaka reach her hand to touch the necklace, but pulled back immediately. "It was a keepsake of someone important to me"

"We're here" Kogoro said and drove into the parking lot.

After that, everyone gets out of a car.

"Wow, this mansion is so big!" Ran walk to the front of the mansion and amazed at the vastness of it.

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**A/N** : I hope I can write longer than this...*sigh*


	4. Chapter 3 - Husband and Wife

**A/N : **I would like to thank 'Smiley-Nami' for your helpful criticism and for being my first reviewer~!

Okay~~Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3 – Husband And Wife**

_"Wow, this mansion is so big!" Ran walk to the front of the mansion and amazed at the vastness of it._

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"And there're so many people, we almost not have a place to park our car."

"Let's enter" Narumi said and walking to the mansion's front door.

"Welcome, you are Kogoro Mouri, right?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes" Kogoro replied.

"Excuse me" The receptionist attached a flower shaped brooch to Kogoro and the others.

"Come in" Another staff then take them to the food table in front of the stage. There are many people in the room, sitting at round tables that were provided.

"Your food is on the way, please wait here a moment." The waitress said, at the same time another waitress with a drink cart walked to their table.

"What would you like to drink?"

"A beer, please" Kogoro said.

"I'll have an orange juice, please" Ran said and turned to ask Conan. "Orange juice, Conan-kun?"

"I'll have lemonade instead, thanks Ran-neechan"

"Huh? Dad, what are you looking at?" She asked Kogoro when she saw her father keep staring at a woman's back that sitting two tables away.

"She is awfully familiar" Kogoro said, still staring her.

"Who is it?" Ran asked.

"Just forget it"

"Dad, s-she's standing up and walking to us" Ran said when she saw the woman walking to her.

When she walked closer to her, Ran gasped."M-mom?"

"Your mother?" Kogoro turned around, surprised to see Eri Kisaki standing behind him.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked.

"What about you? Why are you here?"

"Who is she?" Narumi asked Ran.

"Um…" She doesn't know what to say…

"The great detective like me was always invited to the big party, you know?"

"You? The great detective? You are just a pervert old man!"

"Grr! What are you doing here anyway?" Kogoro asked angrily.

"I'm Hirata Banba's lawyer; he is the chief editor of 'The Way' magazine and the host of this party."

At that moment a man sitting at the same table as Eri get up and walk in.

"What's the matter? Kisaki-san?" Takuro Shigematsu asked Eri.

"Nothing, just a pervert old man here..." She said and glared at Kogoro.

"Who is he?"

"Huh? How can you not know him?! His name is Takuro Shigematsu; 'The Way' magazine's chief designer."

"Nice to meet you" Takuro said.

Then Narumi stands up and said. "Oh, I got it! You and Mouri-san are husband and wife, right?"

"Uh..w-we.."

"But we lived separately for a long time now." Kogoro cut her off, anger appeared on Eri's face.

"Let's get out of here, Shigematsu-san, if I stay here much longer, I would go crazy." And walk back to her table.

"Excuse me" Takuro said and followed Eri.

'Oi, these two' Conan thought.

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**A/N 2 : **I changed story's line break, horizontal line annoyed me. I already think of the murder trick but...eh well this will be a long story, so I guess there will be more than one murder...and if you have forgotten, I have mentioned about the bomb, right? Every DC movie had bombs XD I think there will be more than 20 chapters...maybe...I don't know. Oh and you! review this story too!

Update 07/04/2015 \- I think the story isn't that long, so maybe less than 20 but it was confirmed that will be more than 10 chapters.

**Ps.** I have a question, the word 'gasped' in this chap is correct? and the word 'gape' can't -(e)d? (You can still answer this question...)


	5. Chapter 4 - Introduction

**A/N : **This chapter will be a bit short(that's why I post it early since I've planned to post this on April 6)...this is an introduction of the bomb part so I have to stop it there...

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**Chapter 4 – Introduction**

_"__Let's get out of here, Shigematsu-san, if I stay here much longer, I would go crazy." And walk back to her table._

_"__Excuse me" Takuro said and follow Eri._

_'__Oi these two' Conan thought._

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After that, Kogoro go back to his seat and everyone is now eating…

"Hello, Mouri-san" **Yoko Okino **greeted Kogoro.

"Ah! Yoko-chan" He stands up immediately. "I want to see you so badly."

"I hope no murder happen this time…" Yoko said.

"Don't say bad omen like that." Kogoro said and Yoko smiled. "Who with you?"

"She is my colleague, her name is Kimie Minamisato" Yoko introduced.

"I'm the great detective Kogoro Mouri , there're no cases I can't solve! Ha ha ha" Kogoro said, laughing.

Eri's eyebrows are now twitching with frustration.

"I'll take my leave now" Kimie said and smiled to Kogoro.

"Of course" Kogoro replied.

"Excuse me I need to go to the restroom." Kaaka said and get up from her seat.

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Shortly after that, the chief editor Hirata and his group come to greet their guests' table by table until they arrive at the table that Kogoro and everyone are sitting.

"Welcome, Mouri-san, I'm glad you accept my invitation" He greeted.

"Hello, I'm Toshimi Anako from the editorial department." Toshimi said.

"I'm Ryoji Kawashima, a photographer." Ryoji introduced himself.

"I'm Kaede Mioya, also a photographer." Kaede said.

"Nice to meet you" Kogoro replied.

At the time, Kaaka came back. "Hello everyone" She said.

"I'll be on my way then" Chief editor Hirata said and whisper to Kogoro. "Mouri-san, please come to my room, I have something I want to show you."

"Hai"

"By the way, where is Reiko-san?" Narumi asked. "I can't see her anywhere."

"Who?" Ran asked.

"Reiko Shinko-san, she is one of the editors." Narumi answered.

"She said that she isn't feeling well and stay in her room." Ryoji said.

"Excuse me" then Hirata and Kogoro walk to Hirata's room.

"Ran-neechan, I will go to the toilet." Conan told Ran and follow Kogoro quietly.

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Before Kogoro go to Hirata's room, Conan Bugged him and now he is listening to their conversation in front of the door.

"Here" Hirata seems to give something to Kogoro.

"Is this threatening letter?" Kogoro's voice asked.

"Y-Yes"

**_"_****_If you don't cancel this party, I will blow this place to bits"_**

"Did you call the police yet?"

"No, I didn't. I thought it was just a prank"

"If you think it was just a prank, then why you show it to me?"

"I'm not sure if it was a prank or not and I don't want to cause a commotion."

_'__Bomb, huh?' _Conan thought.

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**A/N : **Next chapter will be longer, I promised. (This is my first story and English is my 2nd language, so please bear with me ok?)

**Ps. **I counted down my own birthday in my profile - now 10 days left!


	6. Chapter 5 - Blood Party

**A/N : **(A bit)Longer chapter as promised! Enjoy~

Note \- I never attend to this kind of party before, so it may look weird to some of you...(According to the fifteenth in 'More about me' in my profile.)

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**Chapter 5 – Blood Party**

_"__If you think it was just a prank, then why you show it to me?"_

_"__I'm not sure if it was a prank or not and I don't want to cause a commotion."_

_'__Bomb, huh?' Conan thought._

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While he is listening to their conversation, there is staff look suspicious with a cart with white cloth covered it. While the staff wore a cold mask, he/she passed the door and turned to enter the room, Conan studied the staff with curiosity.

But he has to go back to Ran now because he knows that Kogoro will come out soon.

When Conan's back at the table, Ran asked "Why took so long? Or you're running off somewhere again?"

"A little bit, he he" He laughed dryly.

"By the way, where did Mouri-san go?" Kaaka asked Ran.

"I don't know, maybe he goes flirting with pretty girls somewhere…"

**"****Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 20****th**** anniversary party of 'The Way' magazine officially!" **The announcement came from the stage, everyone turn to look.

Meanwhile, Kogoro walked back to the table. All of the sudden, the lights in the room dimmed and there is a spotlight shined at the center of the stage.

**"****Please give a round of applause to welcome our host of this party; Hirata Banba-san, please proceed onto the stage to deliver an opening remark."**

Everyone clapped their hands when Hirata-san walked onto the stage.

"Kaaka-chan, let's go to the front!" Narumi said and picked the camera out from her bag.

"Excuse me." Kaaka informed Ran.

"Go on, take your time." Ran replied.

"Ladies and gentlemen" Hirata announced. "Our magazine won't have today, If the lack of our supporter; Masao Hiroaki-san!"

Masao, who is sitting at the table stands up, the spotlight moved to shines at him. Everyone applauded while Conan looked at him with boredom.

"And another supporter, the former actress; Tomoko Funaki-san, she also volunteered to be the first model of taking up in a magazine cover!" Hirata continued. Everyone applauded again with Tomoko that come on stage.

"And this is our working group; the first is Toshimi Anako-san!" Toshimi who is standing on the stage bowed. "She is a pretty editor who just came to work with us recently, but she is hardworking person and pushed our magazine forward, to be known by many people…" Conan looked at the stage, left hand to his chin and made a face that can be said 'I'm bored to death right now!'

"…Next is our photographers! Ryoji Kawashima-san and Kaede Mioya-san! And the last one we can't be missed! Takuro Shigematsu-san, our chief designer!"

Each person mentioned walk up on stage and bow to greet the guests.

"Actually, there is Reiko Shinjo-san; our editor, but she's not feeling well right now and didn't show up since the evening. Anyway, she is a person who worked with us for a long time and…"

And this extremely boring opening remark goes on and on…_until-_

**"****And now, we will proceed to cut the cake to celebrate the 20****th**** anniversary of 'The Way' magazine!" **Two staffs helped push the cake out to middle of the room, many guests astonished by what they saw in front of them.

**"****This is a layer cake that was especially made for this party; 5 layer with the 1 meter diameter in the first layer and each layer high 150 cm."**

"Wow" Ran exclaimed. "I wish I can have a wedding cake like that."

Conan looks at her and smiles.

"What are you talking about? I don't want you to be a bride yet." Kogoro said.

**"****Hirata-san, please proceed with cutting the cake" **The announcer said and one of the staffs hand him a cake knife approximately 60 cm long.

He carefully cut the cake from the middle of the top layer, cake knife slid down from the top to the middle, and gradually into the bottom of the cake.

"What's wrong, sir?" The staff whispered to Hirata when he suddenly stopped moving the cake knife.

"Eh, I can't slide it down, it seems to be stuck with something." Hirata whispered back.

"Excuse me" The staff tried to press the knife down to no avail. "It really stuck, there may be something wrong with the cake." He told another staff.

And then he grabs the knife's handle and tries to pull it out, but what came along with it made whoever saw it, frightened, dreaded, and panicked.

Because it was a fresh blood, flowing until it reached the handle and dripped down to the floor.

"Oh god!" The staff who holding a knife, exclaimed with fear.

_'__What?!'_ Conan, who also witnessed the event, walking closer to the cake.

"There's must be something in there!" The second staff said and put on a glove, trying to find something in the cake. His fingers touched with something inside and…

"What's happening?" Kogoro asked.

_'__Don't tell me!?_' Conan runs to the cake immediately by instinct.

When the staff finally caught that something, he pulled it out…

Conan also finally reached the scene and when he saw it, he froze still.

That thing…it was a bloodied human head that was severed and was stuffed inside the cake!

The one who still holding it, with a shock, let go of what he was holding and the head dropped to the floor.

**"****Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"** The party guests screamed in panic.

"Oh my god, Reiko-san" Chief Editor Hirata said when he recognized the face of the head, its Reiko-san's who didn't show up since the party started.

"Ran, call the police!" Kogoro told her in haste and ran to the scene.

_'__Not again'_ Conan thought, mentally face-palmed.

"Everyone stands still! Nobody move!" Kogoro shouted from where he is when he saw someone was about to run away.

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**A/N 2 : **Next chapter Conan will starts his investigation! And will be longer than this chapter. And don't forget to review too, I want you comments to support my motivation!

**Ps.** *- Birthday countdown - 3 days -* (Supposedly) one-shot fic to celebrate my birthday will be post on April 14.(Between 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in Thai's timezone: GMT+7)

**PPs. - **I kind of have 'Time-habit' like Saguru-chan. (just didn't tell time to seconds and milliseconds, but like to check the time every ten to thirty minutes yeah, read 'Ps.' to know what I mean...)


	7. Chapter 6 - The Ruthless Murderer

**A/N : **Finally! The obvious longer chapter! Enjoy! and don't forget review too!

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**Chapter 6 – The Ruthless Murderer**

"Ran, call the police!" Kogoro told her in haste and runs to the scene.

'Not again' Conan thought, mentally face-palmed.

"Everyone stands still! Nobody move!" Kogoro shouted from where he is when he saw someone was about to run away.

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"

_30 minutes later…_

"Can you tell me the details of the crime scene?" Inspector **Misao Yamamura** asked one of his fellow policemen.

"I can't believe we are in the Gunma district" Conan sighed. "But this killer was so cruel, to cut Reiko-san's head off and put it in the cake like that?" He said and walked to the cake cart. "How can the culprit put the head in the cake? Eh…could it be –!" He then tuckered underneath the cart and there! He found a hole under the cart!

_'So that was it'_ He thought and then said in his childlike voice. "A le le, there's something in here!"

"Brat!" Kogoro grabbed Conan's collar from behind "Don't mess with the crime scene!" and cast him away.

"Ouch! But it's really there! A hole to put the head inside a cake…"

Later he heard what Conan said, Inspector then called the forensic officer to come to inspect the cart. "There's actually a hole here like he said, Yamamura-keibu."

"That mean after the culprit killed the victim and silt her throat, _it_ put the head in the cake through this hole that was prepared beforehand, I see." Yamamura said after he saw it himself, "You are so smart, Conan-kun!" and complimented Conan who standing nearby.

"Yamamura-keibu, we've finished assumed the victim's time of death." Another forensic officer comes running to inform him.

"And what's the result?" He demanded.

"From the bloods that still not dry at the time, we assumed it between 7:30 p.m – 9 p.m and we found the head at 9:30 p.m."

"I see, do you find the body yet?"

"The search team still looking for it." The forensic officer answered.

_'7:30 p.m to 9 p.m, huh?' _Conan is thinking while walking around the scene. _'The culprit must be among these two hundred party guests, if selected, only who didn't have an alibi, and so it will be not much suspects since most guests are in the party room…but outsiders that isn't in the working team shouldn't have any grudge with Reiko-san. Why must it always be like this? Argh!' _He scratched his head severely.

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"

_10 p.m. – Waiting room_

"Ahem" Yamamura-keibu, who crossing his arms to his chest and glancing at each suspect in the room exclaimed to gain their attention. "We presumed Reiko-san's time of death at between 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. At the time most of the guests are in the party except you all who didn't have an alibi, how is that?"

There are 6 suspects: Chief Editor Hirata-san, photographers Ryoji-san and Kaede-san, editor Toshimi-san, sponsor Masao-san and Ex-actress Tomoko-san, they didn't have an alibi at the time when the murder occurred.

"I'm resting in my room before the opening remark, but before that we are greeting the guests in the party." Chief Hirata said.

"Yes, we're with him too" Kaede said. "Right? Ryoji-kun" She asked Ryoji and he nodded.

"It's only 20 minutes; there still had enough time to kill her, isn't it?" Yamamura retorted.

Meanwhile, Narumi and Kaaka are using their camera to get photographs.

"Excuse me, but please, no taking a photo in the investigation." Kogoro who noticed, spoke out.

"If you police suspected us…" Toshimi brought up. "Where's the evidence? Or the murder weapon, you still can't find it, right?"

"That's right! Then you can't detain us more than one hour!" Tomoko supported Toshimi.

"So, Meitantei-san, figure out the culprit yet?" Eri elbowed Kogoro.

"Who would know that fast?" He replied. "And where's Ran?"

"Sleeping on the sofa there" Eri said, looking at Ran, who sleeping peacefully on the sofa. "You shouldn't let her see all these kind of things."

"It can't be helped and you know it."

Afterward, the officers do the body search on all the suspects, but found nothing that can be used as a murder weapon.

"Mouri-san, do you know the culprit yet?" Yamamura asked, hoping for the positive answer.

"Eh, not yet." Kogoro sheepishly answered.

"Ah, that's too bad, now we also bear no evidence at all…" He sighed.

At that instant, one of the officers rushed in haste into the room. "Yamamura-keibu, we found the body."

"Where?" he demanded.

"It was overlaid with a black plastic bag and was left with tons of rubbish at the rear of the mansion. We assumed that the victim was drugged and was slit in the throat by a very sharp weapon." The officer informed.

"And did you find that said weapon?"

"No, sir, we've searched all places, both in and outside the mansion, the weapon may still with the culprit."

"But that's impossible; we did the body search just a while ago…"

'If they couldn't find the murder weapon…' Conan thought. 'That's mean it is still with the culprit, but what is it? And who has it?' His gaze is inspecting all the suspects in the room.

"There's another thing that we found with the body."

"What is it?" Yamamura asked again.

"Is that we found this paper with a strange message written in it." The same officer said and hands Yamamura the paper which inside the evidence bag.

"It was tarnished with blood…" he said and starts reading the message out loud for everyone to hear. "The resentment on 13 years ago…this is just the beginning…"

'The resentment on 13 years ago, huh?' Conan pondered.

When Yamamura finished, most of the suspects paled, some had a shock expression on their faces.

"**It**-It was not d-dead" Chief Hirata said, his body trembling as if he was afraid of something.

"But that's not possible! There must be someone trying to scare us!" Kaede said, fear can be heard in her voice while she is sweating all over.

"What's the matter?" Kogoro asked everyone.

"Nothing" Ryoji said, "If nothing else, I'm going back to my room." then left.

"Me too" Masao said and follows Ryoji out of the room.

Everyone then goes back to their own room…except Conan, Kogoro and Yamamura-keibu.

"What should we do? If it was like this, we can't arrest the culprit…do you have any idea, Mouri-san?" Yamamura asked Kogoro.

"I don't know either." He answered.

"Ne, ne" Conan tugged at Yamamura's trousers. "Yamamura-keibu, can you let me see that paper?"

"This isn't what you should look, brat."

"But it said that 'this is just the beginning' right? So, the murderer would have thought to kill someone else too?"

Kogoro and Yamamura turn to look at each other…

-)✿(-

"

**Knock! Knock! Knock!**

"Who come here so late?" Chief Hirata wondered and went to open the door.

"If it was the police, I'm not-" When he opened the door, he was astonished and then….

-)✿(-

"

Conan is calling someone on his cell phone…

"Hello" **Ai Haibara** is on the other line.

_"Hello Haibara, I knew that you will pass the camping with the children."_

"What do you want by calling this late?" Haibara ignored his remark and asked.

_"I want you to help me with something."_

"What is it?"

_"I want you to search about 'The Way' magazine and what happened 13 years ago."_

"Fine"

_"Call me back when you found it, ok?_

"Okay"

_"I'm counting on you, bye."_

"Wait-" It was too late, he already hung up. "Kudo-kun…"

-)✿(-

"

_20 minutes later…_

Kogoro and Yamamura are talking while walking in the hallway…

"We have to stay the night here, because the case wasn't making any progress." Yamamura said.

"If I could get that damn culprit now, that would be great." Kogoro said.

Meanwhile, they are going to pass Hirata's room which Kimie is knocking the door and calling his name.

"Chief, chief Are you in there?"

"What's the matter, Kimie-san? Kogoro asked her. "You haven't returned to your room?

"Eh, chief said that he wants to talk to me about the shooting for the magazine. He just sent me a message to meet him at his room." Kimie said.

"Is that so?" He replied.

"But I've called him for a while now and he still hasn't come out…"

"Could it be…" Kogoro said, looking at Yamamura. "Do you have a spare key?" He asked.

"This mansion doesn't have any spare keys; it is the only one of a kind." She answered.

"I think we have to break the door then." Yamamura said to Kogoro.

"I guess so." The men get a few steps back, away from the doorway.

"Three, two, one, go!" Kogoro counted down and they both ran to the door.

**Bang!**

The door broke down…

The light from the lamp in the room shining dimly…

But it was bright enough to see the body of chief Hirata, who being hung with the light on the ceiling in front of them…

"I can't believe myself to what I'm seeing." Yamura exclaimed.

When Kimie saw the body, she screamed, it was loud for everyone else to hear distinctly.

"What happened?!" Eri who is in the living room, said out loud.

"Could it be!?" Conan then runs out of the room, to the source of the scream immediately.

"We are too late, he's dead." Kogoro said after he finished checking the pulse on Hirata's wrist.

Yamamura is calling the other officers through the phone…

People who heard the scream, all come to see what had happened…

"What happened?" Eri asked the same question from before when she reached the scene with Conan.

"Hirata-san…he was murdered" Kogoro told her and walking into the room.

Everyone who in front of the room, their face turned pale after they heard it.

"No, Hirata-san. I can't believe it…" Toshimi said.

"Another one?" Narumi said.

"What's more important is that this is what we called the impossible cases…" Kogoro turned to everyone. "The locked-room murder case…"

* * *

**A/N 2:** Yep! It is now a serial murder! Stay tune for the next chap!

**Ps.** About 'Love Is Suffering' my B-day fic, the good ending will be post soon (Don't know when though...I will tell you later..)


	8. Chapter 7 - The Case 13 Years Ago

**What I am going to say is... I Hate The Tenses And This Writing Style.**

**I'm not going to write like this ever again in the others stories, I swear.**

**Moving On**

**I'm deeply sorry for I couldn't update last week and for post this 3 hours and 35 minutes late from what I've informed in my profile. (I'm crazy, I know) **

**Enjoy :D**

* * *

**Chapter 7 \- The Case 13 Years Ago and The Third Victim.**

_"No, Hirata-san. I can't believe it…" Toshimi said._

_"Another one?" Narumi said._

_"What's more important is that this is what we called the impossible cases…" Kogoro turned to everyone. "The sealed room murder case…"_

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"Narumi, what's going on?" Kaaka, who just arrived to the scene asked.

"It's Hirata-san, he was murdered." Narumi replied.

"Oh, Really?" Kaaka said "I can't believe he's really dead."

"The door was locked from inside so why you believe this is not a suicide?" Eri asked Kogoro.

"Because we couldn't find the thing…" Conan appeared behind Eri. "The thing that should be there, that the victim used to step on…"

"Conan-kun, you shouldn't wander around here." She told him.

"Heh heh" Conan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Mouri-san, it is indeed a locked-room." Yamamura-keibu said while grabbing a book which lying nearby the body and there's the room's key under it.

"Even though the sealed room was created, the culprit didn't make it to look like a suicide…why?" Eri, who crossing her arms to her chest asked.

"Maybe they want to threaten someone?" Conan raised the subject.

"When Hirata-san separated with us was approximately half an hour ago." Kogoro started, walking to the front. "What were you guys doing at that time, huh?" He asked everyone who gathering in front of the room.

"I was in my room." Takuro answered.

"Yeah, I was also in my room all the time." Tomoko said.

Everyone all exclaimed that they were in their rooms, so no one has an alibi.

"Man, knowing the culprit didn't yet caught, why not stay up as a group? I really don't understand." Kogoro complained.

"Keibu, we found this crumpled paper under the bed." The forensic handed Yamamura the paper.

Yamamura unfolds the paper, there is a message like the first one, he read. _"You already know…the next one is you."_

Immediately after he finished, Conan feels that someone's expression somewhat changed slightly.

"So, this was the perfect sealed room?" Kogoro said.

"I don't think so, Oji-san." Conan intercepted. "There's a space under the door around 5 centimeters."

"Let me see…" He walks to inspect it.

"But, how can you create a sealed room by just that small gap? Eri asked.

Conan thought. _'Wait…that book…the key was under it…they're lying in the direction of the door…but still 3 meters away from it…'_

_'What's the trick?' _He then walks to where the book is, suddenly his vision blurred and he feels dizzy._ 'Damn, why at the time like this?' _He's holding his right temple, trying to make them go away.

"What's wrong, Conan-kun?" Eri asked, concerned.

"What else? His fever's probably up again." Kogoro guessed.

"Then let's go to rest in the living room, shall we?" She then escorts Conan to the living room.

At the time, Ran woke up, seeing them entering the room. "Oh, Okaa-san, what's wrong with Conan-kun?"

"I'm fine, Ran-neechan." Conan replied, began to cough.

"It's this little detective who overdone it and got his fever up again." Eri said.

Ran looks around. "Where is everyone else? Otou-san?"

"It was…Hirata-san was murdered."

"Oh" Ran exclaimed, shocked.

"And there's also another message from the culprit, says '_You already know…the next one is you.'" _The voices belonged to Narumi and Kaaka who have entered the room.

"Even though there're police everywhere, but the killer still dares to kill him off." Narumi said to Kaaka.

"Anyway, did you see my film box anywhere?" Kaaka asked.

"Oh yeah, I put it beside the TV in this room." Narumi said and walks to the TV table in front of Conan. She picks the film box up; he looks at her and sees something.

_'I see, if they used this thing, they could easily make the almost perfectly sealed room.' _He thought.

"Oh Ran-can, Conan-kun," Kaaka said. "We are thirsty and going to make a juice in the kitchen, do you want to come?"

"Sure, thank you." Ran answered.

"Then I'll go back to the case, take care." Eri said. Then walks out of the room.

Conan, Ran, Narumi and Kaaka then go to the kitchen to make their juice…

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"Hey Eri, did you see Tomoko-san in the living room?" Kogoro asked when she returned.

"No, why?" She asked?

"She's disappeared, only her who didn't come back here after we found Hirata-san's body."

"She's maybe in her room?"

"Nope, I checked. Her room is unlocked, no one's there and her phone is still in her room."

"That's strange…anyone else see her?" She asked again.

"Asked everyone…they don't see her anywhere…"

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"There're orange, apple, watermelon and strawberry…" Narumi said after she opened the fridge and brought all of the fruit out.

"What would you like?" Kaaka asked Ran.

"I'll have apple juice then." She replied.

"What about you, Conan-kun?"

"I'll have…" While he answering, his phone rang. "I'm sorry, but I need to take this." He picks up the phone and walks out of the kitchen to find more private place to speak…

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He stops in front of the restroom and answers the phone.

"Hey, Haibara" He said.

_"I found it, about what happened with 'The Way' magazine 13 years ago."_

"What was it?"

_"Some of the working group went sailing on a vacation at a sea in Shitsuoka, but there was an accident cause a shipwreck and there were only 2 life-saving rafts, so 12 people who stuck in the ship died."_ Haibara told him.

"Who's the survivor?"

_"Six survived: Chief editor Banba Hirata, Editor Reiko Shinjo, Photographers Kaede Mioya and Ryoji Kawashima, Ex-actress Tomoko Funaki, and the last, Model Akiko Rokuda. Akiko-san died of gastrointestinal tract disease 4 years ago, so now are only 5 people left."_

_'Reiko-san and Hirata-san were crossed out.' _Conan thought._ 'If I was right, the next one must be someone among Kaede-san, Ryoji-san and Tomoko-san…"_

_"Oh hey, you are there, aren't you?" _She guessed, remembering he has told her something about going to magazine party. _"That said magazine's party?_"

"Ah, yeah" He replied reluctantly.

_"So you got yourself into the case again, I should've known…" _She remarked.

_"Anyway, there's another thing I should tell you…" _She continued. _"There was one of the victims who everyone was regretted of his death deeply."_

"Who was he?" He asked.

_"He was one of admirable editors they had, Yuuji Dogushi. He was a hard worker, one of individuals who'd pushed the magazine to become well-known and popular to these days."_

_'This was maybe the motive.' _He thought.

"Thanks, Haibara" and he hangs up.

"Conan-kun!" Ran exclaimed upon seeing Conan. "Oh, you're here…are you done?"

"Hai" He answered "Let's go back"

"I'll use the restroom for a bit, wait here." She said then enters women's.

He continues to connecting the dots, his back leans on the wall beside the restroom's door. _'The killer intended to kill who's survived the incident 13 years ago…for what..?'_

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While Ran is washing her hands, she glances to the toilet room at the far end and notices that the door is ajar a little. With curiosity, she walks to inspect it…

What she's seeing is a body of Tomoko-san who was stabbed with a cook knife in the chest, and red from the blood all over the floor…

She screams.

And Conan who heard it, runs into the room, the shock expression on their faces. _'The third?!'_

Narumi and Kaaka who also heard the scream from the kitchen, coming to see what happened.

"What's happened, Ran-chan?" Narumi asked.

"Tomoko-san…she was murdered." Conan answered in place of Ran, who still in shock.

"W-What?!" The two journalists walk to the front of the restroom and they grasp.

"Oh god" Kaaka exclaimed when she saw the body of Tomoko-san.

Conan looks in the stall, glances around and sees the bloody writing on the wall on the right side of the victim. The dying message…

"'9'-no-'q'..?" He's trying to interpret the message which is a lowercase English alphabet 'q'.

"What's wrong, Ran!?" Kogoro comes running in panic with Yamamura-keiji and others officers.

"I-It's— " She said, trembling, and points to the last toilet room, which Conan still standing in the front.

_'The culprit must be in hurry, stabbed her and ran away, didn't notice that she still alive and left the dying message…'_ Conan thought. _'I'll definitely get you, wherever you are, you just wait…'_

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_12:00 P.M. – The Living Room_

"I can't take it anymore! You are going let us get killed one by one like this?!" Kaede shouted, standing up.

"Calm down," Takuro said, trying to calm her down. "If we stay as a group then we're safe."

"It is true that the killer is among us?" Kimie asked, glancing around to everyone in the room.

Yamamura-keibu pokes at Kogoro. "Mouri-san, you still haven't figured it out?"

"Not yet," Kogoro grumbled. "Why didn't Tomoko-san just wrote the culprit's name? We would get him long ago…"

Narumi, who is sitting beside Ran yawns, feeling sleepy from staying up late at night and then says. "Say, everyone, I'm going to go make some drinks, you guys want something?"

"Good idea, I'll have coffee then." Ryoji said.

"I'll have coffee too, I feel so sleepy." Masao said.

"I'll have tea instead." Eri said.

"I also will have a tea." Kimie said.

"I don't want anything" Toshimi said bluntly.

"Come on, it's already this late, some coffee sounds good?" Ryoji suggested.

"Fine" She replied reluctantly.

"Wait a moment." Kaaka said and follow Narumi out of the room.

"Let me help" Ran said and follows them.

"Thanks, Ran-chan" Kaaka thanked her.

Meanwhile, Conan is thinking about the case, _'The dying message Tomoko-san left…What does it means? 'q'…'q'…'kill' Aha! 'q' is a punctuation of 'kill' but kill who? Or who kill?' _He furrows his brow, concentrating.

After a while, Narumi's back with their drinks on a tray and places it on the table.

Each takes their own drinks…

Eri hands Kimie a tea.

At the moment, the murderer among the group mentally smiles, looking at one particular cup with complacency…

* * *

**I already started writing the next chapter, so I hope I wouldn't be late again...**


	9. Chapter 8 - To Solve The Case

**I'm sorry for update late again. I'm so busy with school camps and yesterday I wasn't feeling well and couldn't finish writing it in time...**

**(This one's also hard to write, the tricks is going to reveal after all..)**

**Anyway, enjoy! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – To solve the case**

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**_2:00:00_**

**_"_**

**_1:59:59_**

**_"_**

**_1:59:58_**

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Kaede is looking down at her coffee cup in her hand.

"What's on your mind? Thinking if it has a poison or something?" Ryoji asked, "Nah, I don't think so." and sips his cup.

"Maybe I'm just over thinking…" Kaede smiles to Ryoji and drink hers.

**Clank!**

The sound of something hitting the floor…

Kaede's eyes widen, both her hands holding her neck. Everyone who is watching gasps almost simultaneously.

"Oh god! What's going on?!" Narumi exclaimed.

"Yamamura, call the ambulance!" Kogoro demanded.

She then falls to the ground, lies still…

"Too late, she's dead." Eri said after she checked the pulse.

"No way…" Ran said, not believing what's in front of her.

Conan walks closer to the body. _'Her lip starts to turn purple…the potassium cyanide? Che, they have one step ahead of us again.'_

"Everyone, don't move or do anything and stay still!" Kogoro shouted and also comes to inspect the body. "Geez, old case still not clear and then _this_, the new one appeared."

"I think, the culprit is definitely one of you." Eri declared, looking at everyone. "Narumi-san, Kaaka-san, Ryoji-san, Takuro-san, Kimie-san and Masao-san, all of you had a chance to put a poison in her cup."

"What is this about?" Narumi demanded.

"I'm a suspect? I didn't even touch her cup!" Masao said, irritating.

"Yeah, you were the one who handed me a cup, weren't you, Kisaki-san?" Kimie asked.

"I was, but in the previous cases you all didn't have an alibi, so I can't cross anyone out." She replied.

"Now, I want everyone to gather at the sofa right there, so we can work with this case." Kogoro requested, pointing to the sofa at the far right of the room, far enough for him and the police to investigate the body.

And all the suspects are called to do the body search, to find the poison which might still be with the culprit, but find nothing…

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**_1:35:46_**

**_"_**

**_1:35:45_**

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"Keibu, the reaction of Potassium cyanide in the coffee cup is positive." The forensic officer informed.

All of a sudden, the light in the room is off, leaves them in the darkness.

"Who turned off the light?!" Kogoro shouted.

*Shatters* *Smash*

The sound of something shatters, turns them into panic and astonish.

"Arghhhhh!" But the sound Ryoji's painful cry surprises them more…

"What's happened?!"

"Someone turns on the light!"

When the room filled with the light once again, what they are seeing turned them from panic and surprise into horror.

Ryoji is smashed with the flower vase which is decorates in the room, and lying on the floor…

"He's still alive! Someone please helps him!" Kimie pleaded.

Two officers help heap him up from the floor, unconscious from the impact he received.

Conan looks at the vase, now in pieces, and notices a towel on the floor not far from the vase much. _'Use a towel to hold the vase to prevent fingerprints?'_

"The killer dare to attack us like this?" Kaaka told Narumi, her hand bracing on her chest in somewhat a surprise. He glances at her and that is when he figures something out.

His glasses reflexes in the light like it usually do when he solved mysteries and cases.

_'So that's what it was… I figured it all out, the culprit, the murder weapon which silt Reiko-san's throat, why that person did that kind of reaction and the meaning of Tomoko-san's dying message. Then that thing still has to be at somewhere there.'_ Then he quickly runs to the kitchen.

"Wait! Conan-kun!" Ran said when she sees him suddenly runs out. "Why such hurry…"

_'If it as I thought, then it must have that thing'_ When he reached the kitchen, he opens the cupboards in search for something. _'Here it is!'_

"Now this case shall come to the climax." He smirks in triumphant.

Meanwhile, his phone rang and he takes it out from his pocket to see who the caller is.

_'Haibara?'_

Then he answers the phone.

"What is it, Haibara?"

_"Kudo-kun, I just found it, the real cause of that accident 13 years ago."_

"Really? What is it then?" Conan asked.

_"It—actually it was…" _Haibara started.

He listens and then keeps his face down until the end.

_'If that's true, then this case would be a very tragic one…' _He thought.

"Thanks, Haibara" And he hangs up.

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**_1:13:56_**

**_"_**

**_1:13:55_**

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"Where are you running off again, huh?" Ran asked immediately when Conan comes back.

"I just went to the restroom." He lied. He can't tell her what he is doing anyway.

"Restroom again" Ran said, gives him a pointed look.

"Heh heh" He chuckles while rubbing at the back of his head sheepishly.

"What's about Ryoji-san? How is he?" He changed the subject to brush off her suspicion.

"Ah, he's fine. We already did the first aid and now we let him to rest at his room." She replied.

"And where's oji-san?"

"There, with Megure-keibu over there." She points to where Kogoro is standing with Megure. "Don't disturb him, okay?"

"Haiiii" He drawled back.

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**_1:04:21_**

**_"_**

**_1:04:20_**

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"Hey hey, you say there's something strange you want me to see?" Kogoro asked Conan when they reached Chief Hirata's room.

"This way, this way" Conan said, beckons him to a chair which is prepared at the front of the bed.

"Geez, where it—" There was a sound and he feels something pricks in the back of his neck, "Here it come againnn" before he staggers and slumps on the chair, into the 'sleeping Kogoro' pose.

He takes the phone from Kogoro's pocket, with voice changer bow in another hand; he dials and orders to another end. "Eri, gather everyone to Hirata-san's room for me, I think I now know who the culprit is."

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**_0:58:09_**

**_"_**

**_0:58:08_**

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"Conan-kun?" Ran comes to find Conan at the restroom, but apparently, he isn't there. "Eh? But he said he's going to use the toilet…" She pondered with folded arms.

She didn't notice someone had snuck up behind her.

She tries to call for help and struggles when that person uses a chloroformed handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth.

To no avail, her eyes slowly close and she drifts into consciousness…

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"Is it true? You know who the culprit? Yamamura-keibu asked when he and others arrived to Hirata's room.

"I've called everyone here, so…" Eri began. "Meitantei-san, will you tell us who committed these murders which are occurring at this mansion?" She said with crossing arms and glances back to give a pointed look to all the suspects behind her.

Conan who is behind the chair speaks in Kogoro's voice through the voice changer. "All right, I will start one by one. Let's start from the case of Hirata-san's sealed room, which is where we are now."

"Please wait a moment; I'm going to go get a video camera in the car!" Yamamura said and runs out with haste.

"How could the culprit created a sealed room, despite the only key for this room was under the book?" Takuro asked.

"It's very simple; you only need two things to make it. Oi Conan!"

"This!" Conan appears from behind Kogoro and holds something up for everyone to see.

"TV antenna?" Kimie asked, dumbfounded.

"And this!" He lifts a cooler box which has ices inside for them to see.

"Ice? How so?" Eri asked, confused how these two things could make a sealed room.

"I'm back!" Yamamura returned, still panting, and starts recording with a video camera in his hand.

"After the culprit murdered Hirata-san, they stacked around 4 to 5 ice cubes on the floor and away from the door 3 meters" He said and does the demonstration.

"Then they placed the book on the ice…" and do as he said. "Said book will be up from the floor around 10 cm."

"After that, the culprit locked the door and put the key on the floor, then used an already stretched TV antenna to push the key under the book."

"But that antenna wasn't long enough to reach that far!" Narumi pointed out.

"What if there were 2 of it?" Conan said, connects two antennas together and pushes the key under the book.

"When the ice melts, the sealed room was completed." Kogoro(actually Conan) takes over.

Eri who is still inside the room, unlocks the door and opens it. "If that was true, then wouldn't the book still wet? When we found it, there's no any trace of water being there and the book didn't wet either."

"The culprit used the ice that, when melted, there would be no water left. Yes, the dry ice." He replied. "I found this cooler box contains with dry ices in the kitchen, evident that the culprit had used it."

"This method everyone could perform it." Kaaka also pointed out.

"Yes." Kogoro answered short.

"Them what method they used to make Kaede-san drank a cup of coffee with poison? Eri asked.

"It was easier than we thought, there's no any trick at all in that case."

"What do you mean, Mouri-san?" Takuro spoke out his confusion.

"Mean that the culprit has only wanted someone—or rather, anyone to drink it."

"Wait, you mean that I could've drank it too?" Masao commented.

"I was so lucky that I didn't drink it then…" Ryoji said from behind them, suddenly appears.

"Ah, are you alright, Ryoji-san?" Eri asked.

"Just a small wound and I also want to know who hit me too." He said.

"The culprit had set the timer to make a blackout at that time, to kill Ryoji-san," Kogoro continued. "But they didn't exert enough to get him killed."

"Heh, now I really much want to see who the killer is." Ryoji said, looking at everyone in the room.

"Tomoko-san told us already, in her dying message"

"She only wrote 'q', wasn't she?" Yamamura who has keeps quiet until now said.

"That's right, the English alphabet 'q' which homonym with the word 'Kill', do you think so?"

"It's still doesn't tell us who is the culprit, isn't it?" Eri said.

"It was in her message clearly, with her crimson red blood…" He began.

"That's right! The blood indicated only to one person, and that is…."

"You…."

* * *

**Guess who's the culprit?**

**I don't know when I can update again, but I will try to finish it in a week...(annoying school camps...)**


	10. Chapter 9 - Misunderstanding

**What am I going to say is...ermmm... This is the chapter 9... Yeah it is...**

**Just kidding!**

**To be honest, I'm losing motivation on writing this story(which I think is the crappiest story I ever write, I'm positive.) But don't worry that I won't finished this, because the next chapter is also the last one and the last time I will be using this lame writing style...**

**So, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**** \- Misunderstanding**

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**_0:46:38_**

**_"_**

**_0:46:37_**

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_"__Ran!"_

_"__Ran!"_

Shinichi's voice resounds inside her consciousness, waking her up…

"Shinichi..?" Ran grumbles, slowly opens her eyes.

She gasps alarmingly when she found herself in a room which looks like to be a storage room, and then she remembers what has happened to her.

She walks to the door and turn the door knob, but found it locked. "Help me! Somebody help me!" She tried to break the door, but it was too thick and strong. So she cries out, calling for help…

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_"It was in her message clearly, with her crimson red blood…" He began._

_"That's right! The blood indicated only to one person, and that is…."_

"**Kaaka Omotani**-san, it was you." Sleeping Kogoro declared. Everyone look at her in shock and astonishment.

"No way…you didn't do it, right?" Narumi asks Kaaka, while another hasn't said anything, standing in silence.

"Blood is red, and red is 'aka' which is in your name, no?"

"If I'm the murderer, then what did I used to kill Reiko-san?" Kaaka retorted. "You police has frisked me for 3 times already, but couldn't find any weapon, are you?"

"That because they never thought or aware that it could be used as a weapon."

"What was it, that weapon?" Yamamura asked.

"It was what she always holds all the time, and no one would think it can cut human's throat…" He paused, everyone waiting expectantly "…Kaaka-san. The murder weapon…it was your bead necklace, wasn't it?"

Kaaka gasps in surprise, unconsciously puts her hand to her necklace which still hanging around her neck.

"How was that possible!? How just a necklace could cut someone's throat?" Eri is the one who asked this time.

"What if it isn't an ordinary necklace? But a nylon rope which is thick and strong?"

"Can I see you necklace, please?" Yamamura asked for her necklace and she reluctantly gives it to him.

"Mouri-san, it's indeed the nylon rope." He confirmed after he finished checking it.

"You just have to stretch the rope tightly and then gradually slit it around the neck repeatedly, and if you put a little more pressure you can easily cut it." Kogoro started again.

"And you probably used the time when you excused yourself to go to restroom in the party's open remark speech and killed Reiko-san, who you already put to sleep. Wasn't she gone to toilet for a long time back then?" He finished.

Kaaka stands in silence.

"Kaaka, you didn't do it, right? Right?" Narumi asked desperately, hoping that her colleague wouldn't do such a thing so cruelly while she's shaking Kaaka's shoulders. "Tell him you didn't do it!" She almost screams. Tears are now on the edge of her eyes, trying to escape from the fragile jail of her eyes and fall down.

"If we found luminol's reaction on this necklace, it will be incriminating evidence for your crimes." Yamamura said in the-matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, I'm the one who killed them." Kaaka finally admitted.

"Kaaka…"

"How did you know I'm the culprit?" Kaaka asked.

"It was because of your strange behavior at that one time…" Kogoro began. "When we were going to the mansion together, I noticed you touched the necklace and immediately pulled back. That was when I guessed you didn't want to bring much attention to it, because you were going to use it as the murder weapon to kill Reiko-san, am I right?"

"As expected from you, Meitantei Mouri Kogoro-san" Kaaka said dryly.

"Why, Kaaka, why…" Narumi now is crying uncontrollable, feeling betrayed. "W-Why did you have to do all that? I'm your friend s-since we were still in University. I n-never thought you w-would do something like t-this…" She managed to say in between sobs.

"Please don't cry, Narumi"

"Your motive is perhaps something about an accident which happened 13 years ago, isn't that right? Kaaka Dogushi-san?" The sleeping detective said.

"How did you know my real name?!" Kaaka said in surprise.

"One of the victims on that accident, there's someone who many people had grieved of his death. He was an editor at 'The way' magazine and your brother, Yuji Dogushi." He started explain again.

Kaaka looks down, tears in her eyes.

"The police didn't tell this to the media, but there's 14 years old girl name Kaaka Dogushi who had wept in sorrow on his burial day." Kogoro finished.

"Niisan was my only family left when both our parents died since I was eight…" Kaaka starts to cry as well like Narumi. "He comforted me when I was bullied, congratulated along with me when I got high score on my exams. He was everything in my life! No one could replace him, never."

"So then why?" Eri asked.

"It was because of those people!" She pointed at Ryoji. "They sank the ship because they want insurance money! They left him to die so pathetically in that sea!" She screamed. Her eyes filled with tears, wrath, and hatred. "I tried to investigate about this for years! I tricked them to talk so many times, but no one told me a thing!"

Ryoji didn't say anything.

"T-Then I finally know the t-truth by myself i-in the end…" She finished with stutter. Her whole body is trembling with the crying and the sorrows within her.

"Kaaka-san, actually, they didn't do it." Conan spoke in his voice changer while he looks down with sad expression appeared on his face.

"Huh?"

"The truth is, the person who sank the ship weren't any of them at all, but was Yuji-san, your brother, who did it" He said in quiet, sad tone.

When Kaaka heard what he said, eyes widens in shock and disbelief.

"The police had already informed you about this fact. Perhaps you were still lament of his death and too shock, so you didn't hear any of it…" He continued. "You're brother had owed a lot amount of debts, so he'd escaped by taken his own life..."

"That's not true! Niisan wouldn't..." She stopped mid sentence. She isn't sure of that statement much, though she lets him continues.

"The cause for him to had the debts probably because of those who you killed. Kaaka-san, everything I said is true, I'm very certain of that." The detective added.

"It's not true...no.. No!" The tears which were supposed to dry already begins to pours down again. "No way, noooooo!" Kaaka let out a painful scream, her knees gave out on her so she falls down to the ground and she keeps cries and cries. Sadness and guilt, she cannot hold them to herself anymore. She let out all of her emotions inside her, mixed in with tears that she cannot stops from falling down...

That clamorous painful ear-piercing cry echoes inside everyone's minds. It even made someone to cry along with her, whose name is Yamamura who is now wiping away tears from his eyes.

Conan keeps looking down on the floor. The scream also made him forgot something very absolutely important...

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_**0:30:17**_

_**"**_

_**0:30:16**_

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Ran slides down to the floor beside the door in exhaustion from pounding the door and calling for a rescue for how many times she can't remember anymore.

"Shinichi…" She muttered desperately.

Where is he when she needs him most?

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Before the police could arrest Kaaka, Conan asked her though Kogoro's voice. "Kaaka-san, what does the message in the threatening letter you sent to Hirata-san mean to?"

"Huh? What letter? I don't know any letter being sent here." She answered before she walks away with the police to the police car.

_'Wait. If Kaaka-san wasn't the one who sent the letter, then who?' _The shrunken detective wondered. _'What does it mean by 'blow to bits'?'_

At the moment, Kogoro wakes up with a yawn. "What's happened? You already caught the culprit?" He asked, dumfounded.

"You're like this all the time, Anata." Eri sighed.

"Ne, Obaa-san…Where is Ran-neechan?" Conan asked her. He just notices he hasn't seen Ran anywhere since the start of Kogoro's—well, his deduction show.

"Oh right. She told me she is going to go find you, so where is she now…?" The female lawyer wondered out loud.

After hearing that, Conan suddenly runs out to the living room.

"Eh? Ran isn't with you?" The old man detective asked.

"Why asked? Don't you see we're all in here?" Eri said in a bit annoying tone.

"Say, Mouri-san. What is the letter you talking about?" Yamamura asked.

"What letter?" Kogoro asked back, confused on what's going on.

"The threatening letter you said was sent to Chief Hirata-san, I mean." The inspector expanded.

"Oh yes, someone sent it to Hirata-san." Kogoro explained "It says 'If you don't cancel this party, I will blow this place to bits'"

"A bomb?" They wondered.

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"Ran-neechan!" Conan finally reaches the living room and searching for Ran. "Not here"

He then goes to searches the kitchen. "Not here either…"

Then there is a sound…

***Boom***

It was a sound of a bomb exploded…reverberated through all every parts of the mansion.

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"What happened!?" Everyone exclaimed in panic.

"Keibu, there's a bomb explosion in the party room!" The officer comes to informed Yamamura.

"Whaaat?"

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"Bomb?!" Conan exclaimed when he heard the sound. He instantly runs out of the kitchen.

***Boom***

***Boom***

Two more exploded…

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"Keibu! More bombs the culprit planted have explored!" Another officer shouted from the front of the door.

"Keibu-san! There's a fire in the living room and others room! And it keeps spreading to everywhere!" The third officer also comes. "If this continues, the mansion going to collapses!" He informed them hurriedly.

"Everyone, we will evacuate! Now!" Yamamura yelled. Everyone else hurry out of the room, out of the burning mansion…

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The loud sound of 3 times explosion makes Ran jumped in fright.

"What is happening!? There're bombs here?!" She exclaimed. Then she scanning the room she is currently in to find an exit. She glances around and sees something covered in white cloth; she walks to takes it off.

But she has to gasps in shock when she saw what's under the white sheet.

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**_0:22:25_**

**_"_**

**_0:22:24_**

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Red numbers are flashing, counting down slowly…to the destruction…

"No way…" She exclaimed in terror.

* * *

**See you in the next chap which I'm not sure when it will comes... XD**


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